Gabriel's Redemption (19 page)

He gazed wistfully at the image of the Poli. “Very few plant species, and only a handful of ocean-based species, survived. The Polis have learned to fish, as well as harvest a fungus, what we call a shroom, that is able to flourish under snow on mountain peaks, out of the cold valleys. They’ve taught us to grow them, to mass-produce food in this inhospitable environment. They’re really quite intelligent…” His voice trailed off, and he shook his head.
 

“Anyway,” he continued, taking a deep breath. He switched the image to a building under construction sitting alongside a frozen body of water. “We’re currently putting together a hydroelectric plant underneath this frozen river. It will be able to generate enough power for the entire underground mountain facility, which will house over a thousand of the natives. We’ve been working our tails off the last few years, both to construct all of these facilities, and to mine enough ore to pay for it all. And we’ve got two more mountain habitat candidates we’re looking into.”

“Why are you doing all of this?” Gabriel asked. “Why this…massive undertaking?”

“Because we
should
do this, Evan. We’re human,” Zack replied, a sad but dignified tone in his voice. “It’s what makes us who we are,” he paused. “It’s who
I
am now.”

Gabriel looked at his older brother, seeing the face he hadn’t seen in nine years, and seeing a completely different person. More mature, dedicated, giving. Certainly not the older brother he remembered from childhood. Zack had always been on the selfish side: rebelling against their father, attending a school he didn’t want him to, taking an off-world job just to show him he was different, independent. And now, standing across from him, all of that former selfishness and attitude seemed long gone.

“There’s something else you need to know,” Zack said. “And it’s most likely why you were sent here.”

“Go on,” Gabriel said, cocking his head.

“We’ve discovered a very unique feature of the Polis, one we’ve been able to successfully adapt to humans, and one that could have far-reaching effects on all of humanity.” He paused, apparently waiting to be interrupted. Gabriel waited, curious, so he continued. “
Homo glacies
don’t age the way humans do, Evan. As a matter of fact, we can’t find any sign that they age at all.” He shrugged, looking up at the wallscreen. “From what we’ve been able to find out with our limited communication with them,” he continued, “some of our friends have been alive for over a thousand years, and don’t appear any different physically from adolescents.”

Gabriel raised his eyebrows. “A thousand year old species?”

“Believe me, we were just as surprised when we learned this a few years ago,” Zack replied. “It took a long two years of genetic testing to determine how, and another two long years to adapt, but we’ve tested it thoroughly, and it works. It’s part of their DNA. They have a specific, unique type of telomerase that rebuilds the end of their DNA strands on a continual basis. Essentially this telomerase repairs the cells, thereby keeping the body from breaking down.”

“What do you mean by adapt?” Gabriel asked. He was starting to feel more like the younger brother as each question came out of his mouth.

“I mean just that, we’ve adapted it to humans,” Zack replied. “If what we discovered is correct, the Polis’ telomerase, extracted in a perfectly safe manner,” he said, emphasizing the last few words with a palms-down gesture of reassurance, “will allow a normal man or woman to live over two hundred years, maybe more.” He smiled. “I was one of the first test subjects. I haven’t felt this healthy in years.”

Gabriel stared at his brother open-mouthed, his younger-looking face now making more sense. And Zack was correct. This must be why MacFarland had sent them here, and why the mission was completely off the record. He wanted this discovery for himself. And then he wanted Gabriel and his team to disappear.

He turned and motioned to St. Laurent, who was standing nearby with one of the techs. Just as he was about to speak, an operator at a workstation on the far side of the room called out.
 

“Emergence at T-Gate,” the woman said, tapping a few keys. “It’s a ship, Mister Vanheel.”

Vanheel strode over to the operator’s console, peering over her shoulder. After a few seconds, he stood up and turned to Zack and Gabriel. “Mister Chairman, it’s a freighter, Chinese registry, unscheduled.”

Sowers, who was standing closest the tech who announced the transit, took a few steps over and looked at the screen. “Commander, it’s the ship you showed us. Looks like that second team is here.”

Gabriel looked back at Zack, who had a concerned look on his face. “Don’t worry, this is what I do. This is what makes
me
who I am,” he said quietly. Turning to the rest of his team, who had gathered nearby, he said in a louder tone, “Time to get to work. We’ve got a few hours, let’s use them wisely.”

Chapter 22

The team gathered around the central table in the Operations center, looking into the holoimage projected above its surface. It was a three-dimensional representation of the incoming ship, the full data from the T-Gate station having just arrived.
 

“Okay, now that they’ve emerged from the T-Gate and we have actual telemetry, I can confirm they’re coming in on a standard
Xu
-class cargo hauler, Chinese-built, approximately 20 years old,” Gabriel said. “It can’t be rigged for drop capsules, so we know that they’ll need to reach a standard low orbit and land a shuttle. That gives us an advantage - they’ll have to come to us, on our turf, so to speak.”

Jimenez spoke up. “Sir, why not just call in the
Marcinko
? She could take them out before they get anywhere near orbit.”

“Obviously that’s a very valid suggestion, Arturo,” St. Laurent replied. Gabriel nodded for her to continue, curious if she was on the same page as he was.

“We need them on the ground,” she went on. “We need at least one of them alive, or we’re not going to be able to get to the bottom of all of this. And,” she said with a hint of a smile, “that wouldn’t be as much fun.”

Several chuckles went up around the table.

“What kind of ETA are we talking, sir?” asked Sowers.

Gabriel had his neuretics zoom out the image to show the 46 Scorpii system and project an orbital path for the incoming ship. “If they use a standard flight plan for that ship, they should reach orbit in five hours, eleven minutes, with a 45 minute accel and same decel. I don’t anticipate them doing a max run, as I don’t think that bucket can handle the full accel and decel stress.” He held up a hand. “I know, that’s a big guess, but until the
Marcinko
can give us an idea of when they shut engines down for coast, we won’t know for sure.”
 

He had the image show a point in space just inside the fifth planet, 95 million miles out from Poliahu. “Right here, they should start their decel, which will put their ass end towards us, and their plasma drive will blank out any sensors they have pointed our way. In the meantime, we’re going to get the interior of the colony prepared. Once they hit that point, we’ll move to stations, and set up our exterior defenses. We’ll keep them guessing as long as possible.”

He called up the
Marcinko’s
position, a glowing dot appearing on the holoimage on the opposite side of Poliahu from the path of the incoming ship. “Captain McTiernan,” he said.
 

After a four second delay as the signal was bounced off the microsats in orbit, McTiernan’s voice came back, “Standing by, Commander.”

“Captain, you’ve got all the info we have. We’re going to need to you stay stealthed on the far side while the Chinese ship comes in. We want them coming in blind. If they see any type of aggressive move from the
Marcinko
, they may attempt to run, and we’ll lose the opportunity to grab them. Our plan is to have them land personnel we can, uh, talk to.”

“Commander,” said McTiernan.
 
“You don’t anticipate them simply bombarding from orbit, wiping out the entire colony?”

Gabriel shook his head, momentarily forgetting they were audio-only. “No, I don’t. There’s a significant asset here they’re coming for, they won’t risk destroying it. They’ll have to come to us.”

“Understood,” he replied. “We’re here if you need us.”

“Thank you, Captain.” Gabriel cut the connection and called up a schematic of the colony on the holotable.
 

“Sabra and St. Laurent,” he continued, looking over at the two women across the table from him. “You two will be our point defense outside. I want your sniper rifles set up on the ridges.” Two dots appeared on the holoimage, one on the southernmost crest areas of each mountain surrounding the valley where the colony sat. “Again, once the Chinese ship goes into sensor blackout, you’ll move out. Once in position, go passive comm only and wait for instructions.” He grinned fiercely. “I don’t anticipate many getting through your Burtons, but keep in mind we need to talk to at least one of them.”

He turned to his left. “Lieutenant Brevik, I want you and your cannon stationed here,” he said. A glowing dot appeared on the image in the entry hub, against the wall opposite the doors they had come in. “You’re going to be our first line of defense inside.”

 
Brevik nodded silently, his armor’s neckline creaking with the strain of his massive size.

“Mister Jimenez,” Gabriel said. “How is it going with the Larry?”

Jimenez looked up from the probe at one end of the table. “Sir, this is a piece of cake,” he replied.
 

Vanheel next to him gave a slight smile. “Your man here knows what he’s doing, Mister Gabriel.”

Gabriel waited a few seconds. “And?”

“Sorry sir,” Jimenez said hurriedly. “I was able to power it up, not a problem, and I can definitely modify the defensive laser to be able to fire on command.” He closed a panel on the side of the device. “I have it linked to the command net. Here, I’ll show you. Watch that waste container in the corner.”

He stepped back from the table, and Gabriel caught the burst of Jimenez’s neuretics sending a command to the probe. A split second later, a pencil-thin sapphire beam lanced out from the lens on the top. The beam ended in a vacant chair back at a workstation near the far side of the room, and a hole appeared, glowing edges emitting a puff of smoke and crackle-hiss of rapidly expanding vapor that pushed the chair backwards.
 

“Dammit, sorry!” Jimenez yelped, shutting down the laser. “I thought I had that sighted properly.”

Gabriel grimaced. “Better get that issue fixed, Mister. Then as soon as that ship decelerates, I want you outside reprogramming the others.”

“Aye aye sir,” Jimenez replied with a sheepish look at Vanheel.

“Mister Sowers,” Gabriel continued. “Once Mister Jimenez is back inside, the two of you will take up flanking positions here in the Operations center.” He pointed to the main doors. “One on either side, pulse rifles.” A pair of ‘aye aye, sirs’ answered him.
 

“Ensign Takahashi,” he said, looking at the young man standing near the center table with Doctor Gilchrist, the two of them having just returned from touring the lab facilities. He regretted not having the time to talk to the ensign about the lab and program, and regretted even more putting him at possible risk alone.
 

“Yes sir,” Takahashi replied.

“Sorry to turn you right around, but I need you and the doctor to go back to the labs, barricade yourself in there. If what they are truly after is the anti-aging technology, they may send someone in that direction.” He pointed to the doctor. “Doc, you appear a fit man. Military service?” he asked.
 

The doctor gave a small smile. “Three years, Army medic.”

“Army. Well, we can’t all be perfect, can we?” Gabriel replied. “Combat training?

“Two tours in Algeria during the Solar War, and another on Mars during the riots.”

“Arturo,” Gabriel said. “Load them up with extra ammo and batteries, and get the doctor an appropriate weapon.” Turning back to the doctor he said, “Good luck, and keep your head down.” The doctor gave a brief salute and started chatting with Jimenez.

“Ensign Lamber,” Gabriel said. The sullen face looking back at him made him pause briefly. “You okay son?”

After a few seconds, Lamber nodded. “Of course, sir.”

Gabriel narrowed his eyes, trying to get a read on the former ground-pounder.
Still couldn’t figure out the man,
he thought.
But once we get through this, he and I will have a long talk.

“Ensign, you will be secondary defense here,” he said, pointing towards the back door to Utilities. “If they get this far, we can’t let them get to the colony’s heart, otherwise they’ll control the entire facility.” He waited for Lamber to acknowledge him; it took a few more seconds, but he finally received an “aye aye.” Gabriel gave him a longer look before turning back to Zack.

“You and your board of directors, and all of your key personnel, need to get into the upstairs areas,” he said. “I will be the last man between that door,” he said, pointing to the entrance to the stairway, “and you.”

“I’m not going anywhere, Evan,” Zack replied defiantly. “This is our home, and I’m not going to be cowering in an office while everything we built here gets taken away from us. And from the Polis.”

Gabriel looked him in the eye, and finally saw the fire of years ago, the same look his older brother had always had. Memories flashed of Zack taking Gabriel’s bike away from him, of Zack daring him to tell their father when he took the car keys, of Zack leaving for college, and finally of Zack arguing with their father as he announced he was leaving home. Gabriel slowly nodded, giving in to the determination he knew so well.

“Whatever you say, bro,” he replied with a small smile. “Do you have any other weapons here?”

“Not really,” Zack replied, frowning. “Pim sent our only two guns outside with our sentries, and we know how that worked out.”